Vapor condenser with non-condensible gas recirculation



V. C. MULLER ATTORNEY.

D. R. OLSON June 27, 1967 VAPOR CONDENSER WITH NON'CONDENSIBLE GAS RECIRCULATION Filed June 8, 1965 United States Patent O 3,327,669 VAPOR CONDENSER WITH NON-CONDENSIBLE GAS RECIRCULATION Donald R. Olson, State College, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed .Inne 8, 1965, Ser. No. 462,458 1 Claim. (Cl. 114-20) This invention relates to torpedoes and more particularly to improvements 'in their propulsion systems.

In certain types of torpedoes, 'such as disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,109,401 to Karig, steam is employed for operating a propulsion engine, the exhaust steam being condensed and recycled through the steam boiler, commonly known as a closed cycle system. It is well known that any non-condensible gas, such as air, which remains in such type of system, impairs the cooling efficiency of the steam condenser. In closed cycle steam systems which operate in the atmosphere it is possible to remove the non-condensible gas to thus obviate this disadvantage; however, in a torpedo Operating submerged in water it is not always possible to eliminate such air from the system.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a torpedo steam condenser which will operate at improved efiiciency even though the non-condensible gas remains in the system.

Another object is to provide a novel steam condenser which is constructed as a part of a torpedo hull section.

Still further objects, advantages and salient features will become more apparent from the description to follow, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan of a multi-section torpedo,

FIG. 2 is a lon'gitudinal central section taken on line 2-2, FIG. 1, showing the conduit system of a condenser forming one of the hull -sections of the torpedo, and

FIG. 3 is a detail in the direction of arrow 3, FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, torpedo 10 comprises several hollow hull sections 12,l 14, 161, 18 which are secured together in axial alignment by any conventional torpedo joints 20, 20. As best shown in FIG. 2, one of these sections may comprise a cylindrical tube 22, the outer surface of which is in heat exchange relation with ambient water. A helical conduit 24 is disposed within the tube and to which is delivered exhaust steam through the intake end 26 of the tube. The other end of tube is connected by a conduit 28 to an aspirator or ejector comprising a nozzle 30 and mixing chamber 32. Suitable apertures 34 are provided in the lower portion of each convolution for bleeding condensate from the tube for return to the boiler through a condensate return conduit 36.

In operation, it will be assumed that a certain quantity of non-condensible gas, such as air, is contained within a closed cycle system at atmospheric pressure. Such sys- 55 tem will comprise, as in example, a boiler, steam engine,

3,327,669 Patented June 27, 1967 ICC condenser and feed water reservoir in series, together with a suitable pump for delivering feed water to the boiler. When the system is activated after the torpedo submerges, the engine will exhaust to the condenser which will, after a short duration of operation, contain substantially all of the 'air which was formerly distributed throughout the system. If this is allowed to stagnate within the condenser the' fiheat transfer efiiciency of the condenser will be impaired. Ejector 30, 32, however, produces a lowered pressure within conduit 28 which thus keeps the non-condensible gas in constant circu-lation Within the condenser coil which motion provides increased heat transfer from the exhaust 'steam to ambient water through the torpedo hull. As the steam condenses along the condenser coil and is bled to the feed water reservoir, the percentage of |air to steam increases along the length of the tube. Any small quantity of vapor remaining at the end of the condenser tube is merely carried back to its intake end with the non-condensible gas for recycling through the condenser.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that Within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

In a torpedo hull section adapted to be disposed between 'adjacent torpedo hull sections and having inner and outer surfaces,

(a) a helical tube disposed circumferentially between said inner and outer surfaces,

(b) 'said tube having inlet and outlet ends and being of sufficient length to condense a condensible gas before |it lreaches the outlet end,

35 (c) an ejector type pump disposed at said inlet end comprising 'a mixing Chamber communicating With both ends of the tube, and a nozzle for delivering gas to the mixing Chamber, said pump being operative by gas delivered through the nozz-le to produce 40 a lower pressure at the outlet end for recirc'ulating a non-condensible gas through the tube,

(d) means for delivering a non-condensible gas mixed with a condensible gas to said nozzle, and

(e) means for removing condensate from the tube, be-

tween its ends, and for returning the condensate to the 'boiler of .a closed cycle power plant.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 265,428 10/1882 Keuogg 114-20 2,951,687 9/1960 Schulenberg et al. -108 X 3,109,4o1 11/1963 Karig 1114- 20 BENIAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

P. A. SHANL'EY, Assistant Examner. 

